This invention relates to a method for measuring hemodynamics (pressure and volume of the heart) to evaluate pharmacological and therapeutic effects and the like in animal experiments.
Methods for measuring pressure-volume relationship regarding hemodynamics in animal experiments have been known.
In the prior art, especially in a small experimental animal such as a mouse and the like, hemodynamics have been measured by opening the chest of the animal, sticking a measuring instrument such as a needle into the heart of the mouse, and inserting a catheter through the needle. However, since this method is invasive, hemodynamics under physiological conditions cannot be measured.
Especially, an experimental animal for genetic manipulation (a mutant) as a model with a serous disease is essentially vulnerable to invasions and tends to easily die. Therefore, there have been disadvantages that for such an experimental animal, it is difficult to used the prior art methods, like opening chest of the animal and directly puncturing the heart of the animal. Moreover, even though the prior art methods are used, they have a disadvantage that it is not easy to obtain correctly measured values from an experimental animal that has been weakened by invasions.
Also, since the prior art methods require to open the chest of the experimental animal once for each measurement, they can measure hemodynamics only once in an individual animal. Hence, it was impossible to investigate the time-course of hemodynamics by repeatedly measuring required values in a single animal.
An object of the invention is to provide an effective method for measuring hemodynamics to evaluate pharmacological and therapeutic effects and so on in animal experiments.